Aikatsu Crescent!
by CurePotato
Summary: Amamiya Mai is a normal teenage girl, who lives in a small town located in Japan. One day, she runs into an idol performing on the streets, and this inspires Mai to talk to them. Soon after, Mai enrolls into a school for idols, Celestial Academy, and starts training to become the Celestial Star. "I'll shine brighter than the moon! Aikatsu Crescent is about to begin!"
1. The Light that Shone Like So Many Stars

"Everybody! I hope you're ready to listen to our final song!" A young girl, with wavy, pastel pink hair called out. A large crowd watched her, admiring her every move, excited to see what this next song would be. The girl beamed. She was wearing a pure white dress that glimmered in the moonlight along with matching wings. The girl turned to look at the brunette who stood next to her, and the two both nodded.

"Now, we shall sing-!" The pinkette started, before being interrupted by a familiar voice in the audience.

"Mai, wake up!"

The girl blinked, before shaking her head. She started again.

"Anyway, it's time for us to sing-!"

"Your alarm went off five minutes ago! Wake up, before you're late for school!" The voice repeated, desperate.

The pink haired girl sighed.

"Just twenty more minutes…" she murmured, sounding as if she suddenly had no energy at all.

In reality, the pink haired girl clung to her pillow tightly, refusing to open her eyes. She had no idea what exactly she was even dreaming about, but it seemed so nice, or at least, so much nicer than the real world. A tall, grown man was standing next to her bed.

"Mai, please. Don't make this any harder than this has to be," he muttered, fed up.

His daughter covered her eyes with the sleeves of her pyjama top.

"But I'm so tired…" she uttered, refusing to wake up.

The man shook his head once again, before his eyes lit up. He spoke up.

"Well, if you don't want to help out until after school, and if you want to keep Sachi-chan waiting, I understand," A couple of seconds later, the pink haired girl sprung up, finally opening her crimson eyes.

"It's so late! Papa, why, didn't you wake me up earlier?!" She paused for a second, "Wait… actually, why are you in my room at all?!" She blurted out.

Her father stared at her blankly, before feeling the cold hands of his daughter grab his shoulders, as Mai began to push him outside.

"You should never barge into a young woman's bedroom! It's FOR-BID-DEN!" As she ranted on, the older man rolled his eyes. This would often happen in the mornings; Mai could be very stubborn, especially when it was so early. Or whenever Sachiko, her best - or rather only - friend, was mentioned.

"Anyway, I need to get ready before Sachi-chan gets here. Why don't you keep yourself busy by… erm… setting up the shop!" And with that, the pink haired girl slammed her door close.

Not even minutes later, Mai came running down the stairs. She was wearing a white shirt, with a dark gray blazer, and light gray skirt. Her stockings were the same gray as her blazer, and reached to around her knees, and her shoes were plain, black leather shoes. The only real colour in her outfit was a small, red ribbon tied in her hair.

"Papa! Has Sachi-chan arrived yet?"

The older man looked up, and shook his head."You have a piece of bed hair sticking up."

Immediately, the young girl's face just as red as the ribbon in her hair. She ran to the mirror at the other side of the room. Quickly, she took a small, rose pink hairbrush out of her bag and started to brush it.

"Geez, I never thought I'd get fashion advice from _you_ ," She pouted, as she put her brush away.

"You're really that annoyed I woke you up?" The older man muttered, an eyebrow raised.

Mai nodded."It was such a nice dream… I don't exactly know what it was about but it felt like… destiny. Like it was calling out to me. And you might have ruined everything!" Pouting, the young girl started to fold up some clothes, and put them on display. Something about that dream was calling to her… she just didn't know what it was exactly. Her father was just about to answer, when the door opened.

"Good morning! Hmmm, today I think I'd like to buy a… hmmm… how about a Mai?" A cheerful voice, brimming with confidence, spoke up. Mai's eyes began to light up, as she walked over to this 'customer'.

"Sachi-chan!" She called out.

Sachiko was a tall girl, with an extremely well kept figure. Her hair was long, and a silky black, and her eyes were the colour of a rose. She emitted an aura of confidence and self-love, so much that even the drab uniform looked fairly good on her. She looked completely different to the small, dainty Mai who stood next to her.

"Let's go then, Miss Amamiya, before we're late~" The dark haired girl recited, with a singsong tone of voice, causing Mai to blush.

"Miss Amamiya?"

"Well, that's your name, isn't it?" She twirled her hair, with a seemingly innocent smile. Even more heat rising to her cheeks, Mai nodded.

"Let's go then!" the young girl turned back, to face her father, "See you later, Mister Amamiya~".

After waving to the older, the two girls stepped out of the fashion store, where Mai lived, and began to walk to school. As the two walked, Sachiko began to quietly hum; Mai happily listening along.

"That's such a nice song~" She whispered.

Sachiko nodded, proud. "Of course! It's the image song of my favourite idol, the Celestial Star, Aino Rina! Or at least, thirty seconds of it. She hasn't performed it yet, haha."

Mai's eyes sparkled. "She must be a great idol! Though," she paused, "Celestial Star? Favourite Idol? Wasn't her name Harune Naru or something?"

"Rina was chosen as the new Celestial Star a couple of days ago! Ever since then, she's been my new favourite!" The taller girl pouted.

"So… is your favourite always just going to be whoever the Celestial Star is?"

Sachiko shrugged. "It's better than not having a favourite at all."

"Ehhh, no fair! You know I'm not interested in idols!" Mai retorted, but soon began to smile. Smirking, Sachiko nodded.

"Oh well, during break, I'll just show you the performance that crowned Rina-sama the Celestial Star!" Mai's face went pale, and she began to shake her head.

"You can't just do that! If the teachers spot you with your phone, we'll get in trouble. It'll get confiscated!"

"Ah~, you're such a worrywart." Sachiko patted Mai's head, in a harsh way, "You know I won't get into trouble. All of the teachers are terrified of my power. We'll be fine~."

Mai clutched onto her sleeves, all her confidence from before felt like it was pouring out of her. Sachiko would often have this kind of effect on her. While Mai was perfectly used to it, it wasn't the most pleasant thing in the world. The pink haired girl really, really, really disliked going against what Sachiko said, but some of her ideas were really stupid.

"Even so…" After what felt like hours, those two words barely escaped.

Not noticing the quietness of her friend's voice, Sachiko spoke up again. "Fine then. If it worries you that much, we won't watch it."

Mai breathed a sigh of relief.

"But, you have to promise to come with me to her debut as the Celestial Star in a few weeks!" Sachiko exclaimed, as the two walked into their school.

"Heh? You know Papa won't let me go though!" Mai complained.

Sachiko started to walk in a different direction, raising her hand slightly.

"No buts. It's a promise, and friends don't break promises. If you do, I'll just assume you don't want to be friends anymore~." She said, in a very sing song tone of voice.

Mai clutched her sleeve once again.

"B-but!" She attempted to protest, but Sachiko had already disappeared.

Mai walked into her homeroom, the sound of multiple students excitedly buzzing about their weekends, As she quietly walked to her seat, mentions of the Celestial Star were flying around the classroom. She sighed. All this talk of idols was starting to become tiring.

"Are they really that special?" She muttered to herself, as she got all of her stuff out. All idols did was stand on stage and look pretty, right?

The rest of the school day was fairly forgettable. Nothing particularly special really happened during lessons, overall the day had passed fairly quickly. Mai hurriedly put all of her things in her locker, before running over to Sachiko.

"Sachi-chan!" She exclaimed, causing the dark haired girl to tilt her head slightly.

"What's got you so excited?" She muttered, causing Mai to step back.

"Sorry!" She whispered, before perking up again, "Today was really boring, and I couldn't bare not to see you!"

Sachiko rolled her eyes. "That's just sad."

"It was a compliment!" Mai pouted.

Sachiko shrugged, yet was smiling slightly.

"If you say so." The two started to walk out of the school, as Mai looked up to the sky, and sighed.

"It's so gray… It looks like it might rain."

"Not for another hour or so."

Mai shook her head."It looks like it'll rain a lot sooner than that," she murmured, before stopping, "Do you hear that?"

Sachiko looked confused but stopped with Mai and listened carefully. Although faint, the two girls could hear the someone singing.

"That sounds like one of Tsubasa-sama's songs…" Sachiko whispered.

"Tsubasa... sama?"

Sachiko clapped her hands together. "What if it is her?! Come on Mai, we have to go! I think it's coming from the park!" She exclaimed before grabbing onto Mai's arm and dragging her to the park.

When they arrived at the park, they found a small crowd watching a girl with a long purple side ponytail singing. Mai found herself absorbed in everything the girl was doing. Her eyes sparkled as she watched the girl. However, Sachiko was less than pleased.

"It's not Tsubasa-sama after all, it's just some look-a-like covering one of her songs. Come on Mai, let's go." She stated bluntly, turning around. Mai shook her head.

"B-but this person is really good! I want to stay!" She exclaimed with a huge smile.

Sachiko sweatdropped. "I thought you didn't care about idols?"

Mai's eyes widened slightly."This… is what an idol is…?" She whispered. The taller girl didn't seem to hear, yet proceeded to flip her hair.

"If you have to stay then I suppose I'll just have to use this as a chance to get scouted!" she exclaimed, confident and determined.

"You're going to become an idol?" The small girl replied, her eyes still wide.

"Of course! It's my fate after all!" As the two spoke, the crowd started to walk away from the park, and Sachiko's eyes lit up.

"Here's my chance!" The taller girl exclaimed, her eyes full with passion. As she strided over the purple haired girl, the small girl's head hung low.

"I missed most of it…" she muttered, before following Sachiko. The purple haired girl was putting away all of her things, not noticing the two girls standing behind her. Sachiko grinned.

"Hello! That was a great performance! My name is Hanabusa Sachiko! Yes, I'm the Hanabusa Sachiko, you know the one! And this is my friend, Amamiya Mai! Are you, by any chance, an idol?"

"Sachiko…!" Mai hissed, but Sachiko paid no notice.

"I'm training to be one, and thanks for the compliment," the purple haired girl said blankly, showing no interest towards Sachiko. Instead, her eyes were drawn to Mai. Sachiko noticed.

"You have to train to be an idol?" Mai asked. Sachiko nudged her before turning back to the idol.

"Don't mind her! She's really shy and has no idea what an idol even is."

The purple haired girl smiled. "Of course you do! If you don't put 100% into training, then you'll forget the lyrics in the middle of a performance! Or the dance moves. Or run out of stamina. Or fail a special appeal, trust me, I've seen people lose really important competitions because of that. And worst of all, it'd be nearly impossible to smile whilst performing."

"Smile?" Mai asked, completely captivated by the sound of the girl's voice. Sachiko stared at the two, confused.

"Well, would you watch a performance where the performer doesn't look like they're having fun?"

Mai shook her head, not noticing the envious glare of her friend. The idol in training grinned.

"You have a really nice aura, it's so cute! You could really make it as an idol!" she paused, as a few raindrops started to fall from the sky, "Hey, why don't you try? Celestial Academy, the school Aino Rina goes to, is holding auditions in a week. I'm auditioning, but it'd be nice to know somebody there." Mai felt her face become hot, and Sachiko's jaw dropped. A few moments later, Mai nodded slightly.

"O-of course, if you think I could actually do it! Though…. Could Sachi-chan audition too?" She stuttered, her eyes drifting to the floor. The rain had started to become heavier. The purple haired girl sighed.

"If she thinks she can handle it, I guess," She placed a hand on her hip, "By the way, I haven't introduced myself yet, have I? My name is Shimura Tsubaki, an aspiring idol!" Despite the rain becoming even heavier, Mai's eyes lit up. She nodded, before Sachiko began dragging her away.

"Sachi...chan?" She whispered. "Sachi-chan, what's wrong? You finally have the chance to become an idol!"

"Nothing's wrong," She replied. Mai blinked.

"So, you'll show up at the auditions?"

"There's no point. Celestial Academy is a boarding school. There's no way your dad will ever let you go. And just auditioning doesn't mean you're going to get in."

"Is there any harm in trying, though?"

Sachiko nodded. "You know nothing about idols, you aren't cut out for this."

"B-but-!"

"No buts! You stole my dream from me!" The taller girl snapped. Mai clutched onto her sleeve. She couldn't cry, no matter what. She couldn't let herself.

"What do you mean…?"

The two girls stood, facing each other, eye to eye. This lasted multiple moments, before Sachiko spoke up again. "You got scouted to be an idol, I didn't."

"You did!" Mai protested. "You heard her, we could both audition!"

"Did you listen at all?! That entire time she was just like 'You've got such a cute aura! You should become an idol!' without paying attention to _me_ at all! Even though _I'm_ far more fitted to be an idol than _you_!" Sachiko huffed. "And anyway, she's just a fake trying to be Tsubasa-sama. You'll never get anywhere with her training you." Before Mai could get another word in, Sachiko walked away.

Mai walked into her home, soaking wet. She grabbed a towel, and placed it on top of her hair, feeling unmotivated. She had never fallen out with Sachiko before, afterall. After changing into dry clothes, the pinkette sat down and buried her head into her arms. She wanted to try auditioning for Celestial Academy, but Sachiko obviously didn't want her to.

"What's up with you? You're usually so energetic when you come home from school, Mai," Mai's father, Amamiya Hiro walked in, breaking Mai's train of thoughts.

"Papa…" Mai muttered, before realising.

 _I'm doing it again._

She shook her head. "I'm 100% fine! Couldn't be better!"

Her father sighed. "Mai, I'm not dumb. I saw you upset just a minute ago, something's obviously wrong."

Mai sighed.

"It's just… I have something I want to do, something I want to be. Yet…. If I do it… I don't think Sachiko will be my friend anymore.".

"And, what exactly is that thing?"

Mai hesitated for a second. Her dad would never let her go to a boarding school, and leaving him alone would be cruel. Yet, she desperately wanted to know where the glimmering feeling she had whilst watching Tsubaki earlier was from. After a few seconds thinking, she eventually gave in.

"I want to audition for Celestial Academy."

"You want to be an idol?" Hiro asked, a little surprised, before smiling warmly and placing his hand on his daughter's shoulder. "It's been a long time since anybody in this family has stood on stage."

"You used to be an idol?" She looked up, giggling slightly. The thought of her clumsy, awkward father on stage was strange. Hiro shook his head.

"Of course not! You and me both know that'd be a disaster! But…" His voice trailed off, and the two looked at eachother, sadness in their eyes. Mai then smiled.

"I'll do it, then! At least, I think that's what Mama would want me to do, right?" Hiro nodded.

"You're just like your mother. You know that, right?" Hiro turned away. "Anyway, I have to get back to working. I can't leave poor Akagi-san to handle all of the customers by herself after all," he chuckled slightly, and Mai stood up.

"I'll help out!" She exclaimed, with a determined look on her face. However, Hiro just pushed her down by the shoulders.

"No, you're going to do your homework. And after that, I think you have something more important to train for." Mai took a second before realising what he meant, but then smiled.

"Thank you, Papa!"

Before anyone had noticed, a week had passed, and around a hundred preteens were all gathered in the main hall of Celestial Academy. The hall was grand, with various places to sit, and a large stage at the front. A woman with platinum blonde hair tied into a ponytail walked in with a smile on her face. She was wearing a smart outfit.

"Good day, everyone! My name is Kagamine Makoto, the headmistress at Celestial Academy! Today, each and every one of you will stand on stage and answer a few questions before showing us just what sort of performance you can do!" the applicants all clapped, excitement and nerves running through their blood.

"However, only those who me, my teachers, and the Celestial Star see fit will make it through. We have very high standards, so I wish you all the best of luck." She walked off stage and the hall fell silent. Mai swallowed. She had only had a week's worth of practise, and she didn't even know if it was effective. Another girl, with bright pink hair tied in twintails rushed on stage.

"Can entrant number 01 please come come onstage?" She exclaimed, as a small girl walked over. Over the next few hours, everybody watched their fellow applicants walk onto stage, talk about themselves, before performing. Each girl was brimming with confidence, and managed to put on great performances. However, the majority felt the exact same as each other. They'd talk about how much they love Rina, before putting on a performance that, despite being technically good, ended up feeling strangely lackluster. Of course, there were exceptions, but very few proved to be anything special.

Despite this, fear was bubbling up inside of Mai. All of these girls were so much more professional than her, after all. They each had an unbelievable amount of confidence, confidence that Mai honestly just didn't have in her.

"Can entrant 68 please come onstage?" The twintail girl yelled, and Mai stood up. 68… that was her number, wasn't it? She awkwardly pushed her way to the front of the hall and walked onstage. The twintail girl grinned.

"Good day, 68! What's your name?" She asked. Mai froze on the spot. It was such a simple question yet so impossible at the same time. The audience began to chuckle, including the aforementioned Rina. The sound of their laughter caused Mai to loosen up a little.

"M-My name is Amamiya Mai! I'm twelve years old, and I'm aspiring to become an idol!" The audience giggled again, and Mai sweatdropped. Everyone in this school was aspiring to become an idol; it was foolish of her to point it out.

"So, Mai-chan! Why are you aiming to be an idol?" Twintail asked again, and Mai took a deep breath, before smiling.

"I saw this performance the other day on the streets, and it was enchanting! And then I decided to look up more performances when I got home, and they were even better!" She exclaimed , before pausing, "And, I feel out with somebody recently. An important friend, who loves idols. So, one day, I want to stand on stage alongside her!" Mai didn't realise how loud her voice had become or how the hall had fallen silent until she heard a large applause. She blinked. She hadn't done anything that special, right?

Twintail leaned in.

"Well, you've certainly made a good impression on the audience! Now go backstage, and start preparing for your performance! Mai nodded timidly, taken aback by the audience's reaction.

She walked backstage, and was greeted by a girl with pastel green hair piled on top of her head, in a bun.

"Good day! Please choose three cards, and place them in the Aikatsu System!" Mai nodded, and walked over to a table placed behind the girl. There were three rows of different cards. The top contained various coloured tops, the bottoms, and the shoes. Mai looked at all of them. They were all so cute! Eventually, she settled on three matching rose pink cards, the Rose Cosmos Coord. Then, she turned to face what appeared to be some hologram tablet type device with five spaces for cards. The young girl took a deep breath and placed her three cards in their respective slots. A pink beam shot out of each card and combined to make some kind of doorway. Despite the feeling of nervousness filling her, Mai walked through.

On the other side of the doorway, the space seemed to be some kind of galaxy, with pink hearts floating everywhere. Mai looked down at herself and noticed that her skin seemed to be made of pink sparkles.

"E-eh? What's happening?" She muttered, before looking down. In front of her, there was some kind of pink platform that seemed to want Mai to step on it. She initially hesitated but stepped on it anyway. The platform started to extend turning into some sort of slide. Then, Mai felt herself drop.

In front of her, there were large versions of the cards which she placed into the machine moments ago. Mai extended her arms, in hopes to block it, and closed her eyes. This was it. Her cause of death was going to be crashing into giant aikatsu cards because a platform slide thing wanted to murder her, apparently. However, when the pinkette opened her eyes again, there was only one card left, and the other two had somehow materialised on her body. Mai breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe the platform slide wasn't going to murder her. After going through the final card, she jumped up, and landed on a different, larger platform. She posed, and a large pink heart appeared behind her.

Not even seconds later, Mai walked onto the stage. It seemed so much different than it had before, so much more magical. People all around her were cheering. It made her smiled. A warm feeling was rising up; she almost felt like she could do this! The pinkette took a deep breath, before starting to sing.

"Let's go, Aikatsu!  
The show's starting, don't you know?  
Let's go, Aikatsu!  
Our voices will reach the rainbow~"

Mai's began to dance, her nerves starting to slowly melt away. Aikatsu was so fun, it was hard to be so afraid whilst doing it.

"We may not be the most confident  
But we have passion, isn't that all we need?  
So let's just embrace this rare moment  
It's a miracle, indeed"

Mai's aura slowly began to appear, albeit very small. It consisted of pastel pink and purple hearts, and pearls. She continued to dance and sing, not even really noticing.

"There may be days where we feel down  
But even then, you shouldn't give up!  
There's always miracles, you just have to look around  
That's the one promise, I'll make to you!"

Her voice slowly to become louder, and her moves began to have more presence. She started to smile wider, and it became obvious to the audience just how much she was enjoying herself.

"Let's chase this Aikatsu!  
Aikatsu, Here We Go!  
A cute smile, a cool dream  
A popping day, and sexy colour scheme!  
Nobody can stop us now!"

Mai's aura slowly began to grow, as the audience began to become more immersed in the idol's performance. They began to cheer her some more.

"Let's go, Aikatsu!  
The show's starting, don't you know?  
Don't give up, and a opportunity will present  
Just find the dream you represent!"

As the song reached its climax, the stage suddenly turned into a space of some sort, filled with pink sparkles. Mai lifted her right arm up, as a pink heart appeared. She reached out for it, and grabbed it. Holding the heart to her chest, Mai squeezed it, causing it to burst into multiple smaller hearts. Mai then posed, as the stage turned back to rainbow.

"The special appeal, Cute Live…" Makoto whispered, surprised that such an unpolished idol managed to perform a special appeal. Not even noticing what she had just pulled off, Mai continued to sing the final few lines.

"To a distant rainbow~  
Aikatsu, Here We Go!"

As the song finished, Mai posed, and the audience cheered.

"I wonder if she's ever performed before?" A girl with long, brown hair, with two small buns tied by either side of her otherwise open hair asked, before giggling, "Either way, she'll certainly be an interesting addition to the world of idols." Makoto, who was standing next to the teenager, tilted her head.

"What do you mean, Aino-san?"

"Her performance was really rough around the edges, yet it had a lot of heart. Enough so that she managed to complete a special appeal. Don't you find it interesting too?" The brunette commented, smiling.

"Are you sure?" The blonde asked, "Even if she managed to pull of an appeal, I'm not sure if…" The teenager nodded.

"I'm certain".

Soon after, every single applicant had all performed, and they sat in the hall, waiting patiently. Makoto stepped onto the stage once again.

"Thank you everybody for your time! It's finally time for us to announce the ten incredibly talented girls who managed to pass!" The hall started to mutter between each other, feeling tense. Only ten girls had managed to get through?! Makoto coughed.

"Girls, please calm down. The ten girls who have passed are entrants 5, 13, 16, 32, 48, 54, 68, 70, 83, and 99!" Mai held her hand to her heart. Number 68- that was her number, wasn't it? In doubt, Mai shook her head. Her performance wasn't great afterall. Yet, her heart was pounding. She had passed.

 _She had passed!_


	2. Aiming for a Dream

Mai walked onto the grounds of Celestial Academy, clutching onto the handle of a pastel pink suitcase. It had been around a month just the auditions had taken, and the school year was finally starting. The school grounds were bustling with students, some looking extremely nervous, but the majority seeming excited. Mai looked around, her eyes sparkling.

"I'm here… I'm finally going to become an idol!" She exclaimed, with a large smile on her face. She had been looking forward to arriving for the entire month, and she was finally here! After taking in the amazingness of it all, the pink haired took a deep breath, before noticing a bulletin board with the words "Dorm Numbers" neatly printed on the top. Mai's eyes gleamed once again as she excitedly started to walk over. She pushed through the large crowd in front of her and started scanning through the list for her name. After a few seconds, she finally noticed her name, and she nodded.

"Room 437… that's here!" Mai clutched onto the sleeve of her green blazer. She had forgotten to check her roommate's name... What if she was supposed to? The pinkette quickly shook her head, took a deep breath, and placed her hand on the door handle.

"Calm down, Mai. You're worrying for nothing- I'm sure she's nice!" She muttered to herself, desperately trying to perk herself up. The young girl opened the door. On the other side, there was a girl with long, purple hair in a side ponytail, desperately unpacking. As the door opened, she turned to face Mai, and both girls blinked.

"It's you!" Mai exclaimed, pointing at the girl, "I'd recognise that side ponytail anywhere!" The purple haired girl stood up.

"Amamiya Mai… I knew I recognised your name from somewhere!" She paused, before smiling. "You made it in, then? Congrats!" Mai blushed slightly before realising something.

"Wait, I'm in the wrong dorm, aren't I?!" She reddened, embarrassed by her realization. "There's no way you're a first year... Right?" She reached for the door once again until the purple haired girl spoke up.

"I… am a first year though?"

"Ehh?? But, you look so mature, and you're so talented!" Mai let go of the handle and turned to take a better look at her new roommate. The girl had bright magenta eyes, and an extremely good figure, especially for a twelve-year-old. She sighed.

"Just because I don't look like a child like you do…", she muttered, laughing slightly, "What about the other one? Did that annoying girl get through?"

Mai pouted."Sachi-chan isn't annoying!!" The purple haired girl laughed in response, causing Mai to giggle as a result.

"You're pretty good at avoiding questions," the purple haired girl responded before holding her hand out, "I never introduced myself, did I? I'm Shimura Tsubaki!" Mai smiled and grabbed Tsubaki's hand.

"I'm Amamiya Mai! Nice to meet you, Shimura-san!" She beamed brightly, and Tsubaki smiled, as the two shook hands. Tsubaki stared at the two suitcases, dumped on the floor before glancing over to the two twin bed.

"We should probably start unpacking already. We have the entrance ceremony soon, after all. Which bed do you want?"

Around an hour later, the two girls made their way to the main hall. It was filled with students, all shining in their own ways. The two girls sat, and before long, the headmistress walked onto the stage.

"Good day, everyone!" Makoto greeted smiling as the hall fell silent, "Congratulations on all making it in this school! From here on, a new path filled with opportunities will open up as you make your way through your idol activities." Throughout the audience, various first years started to smile confidently, Tsubaki included, as the realisation they had made it in started to finally sink in.

"However, just because you've managed to enroll here doesn't mean you're already a top idol. You'll have to work harder than anyone to become the top star in the school, the Celestial Star!" Taking her cue, a third year walked onto the stage. She had long, brown hair, with small buns on either side. Her eyes were pale blue, filled with kindness. She held herself gracefully, smiling gently at the applause from the audience.

"She's beautiful…" Mai whispered as Tsubaki shook her head.

"Aino Rina is far more than just beautiful. She's one of the brightest idols in the world. She managed to completely destroy the previous Celestial Star." Tsubaki whispered as the applause died down. Rina started to speak up.

"Good morning, everyone. My name is Aino Rina. It's so nice to see everyone! Each and every one of you shined so brightly at the auditions. I can't wait to see you as you nurture your shine." She paused as more people applauded. "Tomorrow, lessons will begin, and you'll take your first steps to truly becoming an idol. Until then, please take today to look around the school and get to know your roommate. I hope everyone will be able to make great friends here, for a single star can't light up the night sky by itself." The hall fell silent once again, as everyone in the audience tried to figure out what the idol had meant. Makoto stepped forwards once again.

"Which brings us to your first challenge: at the end of the week, every first year is to put on a performance with their roommate. An idol should be able to work together with anyone to put on a brilliant performance. Until that time arrives, please work hard on perfecting your shine." As Makoto and Rina walked off the stage, students began to leave. Tsubaki turned to Mai.

"We're performing together, huh? You better be skilled, then." Mai blinked, pouting.

"I can say the same to you," she muttered. Tsubaki laughed and patted Mai on the head.

"You're so adorable, trying to seem angry. Want to look around?" She stood and Mai hastily followed.

"Of course! Where should we go first?" Mai beamed. Tsubaki put a finger to her lip.

"Well, since we have a performance soon, the gym would be great!" She grabbed Mai's hand and started dashing to the gym. After getting changed into their tracksuits, the two entered the large room. Various idols were already practising dancing, singing, and special appeals. Mai looked around eagerly.

"They're all shining so brightly!" She exclaimed, feel her heart pounding. Tsubaki nodded. "What did you expect? They're idols. It's their job to shine, y'know?"

"Well, I know that," Mai pouted before pausing, "It just feels so… unreal. Am I really as talented as everyone else here?" The purple haired girl smiled.

"Well, you made it into this school, didn't you?" She started to walk into the room and climbed onto a free trampoline. "Come on here, let's make the most of our time before lessons start!" Mai hesitated, before climbing on too.

"Right, Shimura-san!" The two started to bounce, as Tsubaki started to do a pose, as Mai watched in awe.

"Woah…"

"Aren't you going to practise Cute Live?" Tsubaki raised an eyebrow, and Mai quickly nodded and started to do the final pose in Cute Live. The taller girl shook her head.

"Too sloppy! You need absolute accuracy, or you'll never be able to pull off a satisfactory special appeal!" Mai stopped bouncing, and looked at Tsubaki with a look of complete confusion. Tsubaki sighed. "Basically, a special appeal is when you manage to turn the radiance of your coord into a stage illusion. Using one or even two greatly increases the appeal of your performance!" The pink haired girl suddenly looked determined, and started to bounce again.

"So, basically, I just have to do a pose at the exact right moment to practise? At the peak of my jump?"

"Yes, exactly! Just like how you should aim to an appeal at the peak of your performance!" The two started to try again, and this time Mai managed to pull off her pose just a second before the perfect time. A look of pride appeared on her face.

"Ahh, I so almost got it! On my second attempt, isn't that great?" Tsubaki shook her head.

"If you want to make it in this world, only the best will do," she paused as Mai tensed up, "but it was a good try! Let's try it again, together this time." Mai nodded and took a deep breath as Tsubaki started to count.

"3, 2, 1…. Aikatsu!" The two jumped up. Tsubaki place her hands to her lips, and blew a kiss, whilst Mai made a hugging motion. The two both landed gracefully, and a few moments passed, before the small girl hugged Tsubaki.

"I done it!" She exclaimed, and Tsubaki smiled slightly.

"We both did it," she whispered, so Mai was unable to hear. Mai pulled away, a huge smile on her face.

"What do we do now? Singing? Dancing?" Mai beamed, hopefully. Tsubaki coughed, returning to her more serious self, and shook her head.

"I think it's time we try jogging. I hear Celestial Academy has a pretty good track." She grabbed Mai's hand and started to head towards the door. A puzzled look appeared on Mai's face.

"Wait, I didn't think we'd have to do running~!"

Tsubaki stopped."You didn't? Well, jogging is one of the most important parts of Aikatsu! And, it's fun!" She pouted as Mai sighed.

"I have no choice but to do it, do I?" Tsubaki laughed. "It's fine! No matter how much you despise sports, nobody can hate jogging after a few months of Aikatsu!" She grabbed Mai's hand again. "Let's go!"

"That was such hard work~" Mai muttered as the two girls sat down. They had just finished practising in every area. Tsubaki shook her head.

"As we progress, it'll only get harder. You know that, right?"

Mai nodded. "You seem to know everything about Aikatsu, Shimura-san. It's amazing~!"

Tsubaki looked to the side. "It's because, there's somebody who I have to beat. And in order to do that, I have to be perfect in every area. If not…" She punched the ground, her voice quiet, yet frustrated, "I'll be beaten. Just like every other time."

Mai looked towards Tsubaki before looking down. "To get beaten so many times… it must hurt."

Tsubaki nodded. "Tell me about it."

Mai clutched her sleeve. If the atmosphere didn't lighten up soon, things could be bad.

"At least… at least we both have a dream! One that pushes us to work harder with our Aikatsu!"

Tsubaki looked towards Mai. "A dream?"

Mai stood, and nodded. "A dream! You have somebody who you want to beat, and I want to stand on stage with Sachi-chan someday! These dreams, they push us on! Isn't that a wonderful thing?" The purple haired girl smiled to herself.

"I suppose... I've never thought of it that way."

"Dreams are wonderful things! Because of them, we can reach new heights never seen before! We have a reason to keep going! So, let's do our best Aikatsu we can!"

Tsubaki stood up, a confident aura suddenly surrounding her. "You may not be the most skilled idol in the world but, passion like yours is rare! Amamiya Mai, Aikatsu with me, be my rival! That way," she held out her hand, "Our dreams won't be our only motivation, we'll have each other to push ourselves on!"

Mai smiled, and held onto Tsubaki's hand. "Let's do our best Shi-" Tsubaki shook her head.

"Call me Tsubaki, Mai-san!"

For the rest of the week, the two girls continued to practise as hard as they could. They spent many evenings jogging, singing, dancing, practising special appeals, and generally just cheering each other on. Mai happily hummed, as she recalled all the practise they had done. After a few moments, a large man walked in.

"Good morning, lovelies!" He exclaimed, and slammed his desk. "Today, we'll be focusing on coords, their rarities, and types!" He grabbed a remote and pressed a button. The projector quickly switched on, showing a picture of a set of Aikatsu cards.

"Who here can explain what the rarity of a card means?" He asked, and Mai's hand shot up. She had covered coord rarities with Tsubaki the day before. The man, Chisaka Kaoru, nodded in her direction.

"Go on then, Amamiya-san."

She stood up. "The rarity of a coord depends on how appealing it is. Normal coords are basic, and can be found anywhere. They have the lowest appeal points. Rare coords can be described as limited edition, and have an average amount of appeal points. Premium Rare coords are the greatest of all, and are made specifically for the idol who wears it. They're one of a kind, and have high appeal points." Mai sat down as the teacher nodded.

"Very good! Now, can anyone else explain to me about the four idol types?" The room stayed silent, as students all looked around for somebody to answer. Mai clasped her hands together, wishing Tsubaki was in the same homeroom as her, so she could answer.

"Nobody?" The teacher asked, when the girl next to Mai raised her hand.

"I believe I know," she said, standing up. The girl had platinum blonde hair, tied into two low twintails. Her eyes were lime green, and she gave off an air of authority. The man smiled.

"Tell us then, Hinode-san." The girl smirked.

"There are four types of coord in the Aikatsu System. Cute, Cool, Pop and Sexy. Each brand has a main type of coord they create, such as how the brand Exciting Topaz specialises in Pop coords. Each idol uses a brand which correlates to their idol type- the type of coord they chose in their audition," she paused, to point at the ribbon tied around her collar, which was a bright yellow. Mai looked at hers, which was a dark pink, and she remembered Tsubaki's being a lilac colour. The blonde girl continued on.

"Cute types are feminine and pastel, with common themes being fairytales and angels. Cool types are, as the name suggests, cool. They often either take a rock, or goth thematic. Sexy types are more mature, using dark colours, and taking a more glamorous approach. Pop types are bright, full of energy, and tend to use exotic colours." The girl sat down as the class started to applaud.

"So easy~" The girl yawned quietly. Mai watched her, amazed by her explanation.

"That was an amazing explanation, Hinode-san!" Kaoru exclaimed, as the girl smiled smugly. "Anyway, that's enough of that! It's Friday, meaning it's finally the day of your first duo performances! I hope you're all prepared, as it's time for them to start! Everyone, head to the main hall." Every student stood and started to nervously talk to their friends as they walked over.

"Hinode-san's going to outshine us all, isn't she? I hear she got the highest score out of everyone on the entrance exam."

"Really? Whoever's with her is so lucky, then!"

"I doubt it. I hear she can be real lazy at times, and this show relies on teamwork. Maybe we actually have a chance!"

As they arrived backstage, everyone seemed to be talking about the blonde girl, who paid no attention to all the gossip. Mai watched the girl, absorbed by her beauty and confidence.

"What're you doing, Mai?" Tsubaki asked, creeping up behind Mai. The pink haired girl froze.

"Hey, you okay?" Mai nodded, and started to relax.

"Sorry, I think nerves are starting to get to me…" Mai quietly said as Tsubaki tilted her head.

"Really? I thought we had everything down!" Mai nodded but redirected her attention to Hinode Hinata.

"Yes, but… Hinode-san is truly sparkling. What if she's so good, nobody remembers our performance?" Mai continued to watch her as the idol went to talk to her roommate.

"Really? Her roommate, Hanazono-san, is in my homeroom. And according to her, Hinode-san is stubborn and lazy. If the two can't get along, they don't stand a chance at shining brightly." Mai looked away, seeming uncertain for a split second, before smiling once again.

"You're right! Let's make this stage ours, then!" Tsubaki smiled back.

"Of course. We're rivals, after all. It'd be a waste if we didn't go all out." Before long, all the performances began to start. Each pair shone off their own dynamic, and it was obvious each idol had worked hard towards making this first live the best they could. It wasn't long until Hinata and her roommate, Hanazono Miku were on stage, singing "Aikatsu, Here We Go!" They both managed to bring out their auras, and Hinata even managed to do the Pop Live special appeal.

"She's so incredible…" Mai muttered and Tsubaki nodded.

"I feel sorry for whoever has to go after them, that for sure." Just as the two girls walked off stage, the girl with twintails from the audition ran backstage.

"Dorm 437, please go on standby!"

Tsubaki froze. "I shouldn't have said that, should I?"

Mai took a deep breath. "It's fine! If we're negative, it'll only worry others, so we should smile instead!" She paused, "At least, that's what Mama used to always say." The purple girl laughed.

"You say such interesting things, Mai-san," She pumped herself up, and smiled, "Let's go then!" The two girls ran to the changing area, and placed the Pink Cosmos Coord and the Purple Cosmos Coord cards in their respective slots. Out of Mai's tablet, a pink beam shot out, and a purple beam shot out of Tsubaki's. The two beams each made a doorway, and the two idols ran through. After going down the slide, the two jumped onto the platform and posed, as a large pink heart, and a large purple spade appeared behind them.

The two girls both jumped onto the stage, and stood side by side. Then, the music started up.

 _Let's go, Aikatsu!_

 _The show's starting, don't you know?_

 _Let's go, Aikatsu!_

 _Our voices will reach the rainbow~_

The two girls began to sing, both in sync. They both seemed more confident than their first auditions, perhaps due to the fact that they were used to performing now, or perhaps since they weren't alone anymore.

 _We may not be the most confident_

 _But we have passion, isn't that all we need?_

 _So let's just embrace this rare moment_

 _It's a miracle, indeed_

 _There may be days where we feel down_

 _But even then, you shouldn't give up!_

 _There's always miracles, you just have to look around_

 _That's the one promise, I'll make to you!_

Tsubaki's aura, consisting of blue roses and white jewels appeared. As Mai quickly glanced at it, she began to smile brighter, causing her own aura to appear.

 _Let's chase this Aikatsu!_

 _Aikatsu, Here We Go!_

 _A cute smile, a cool dream_

 _A popping day, and sexy colour scheme!_

 _Nobody can stop us now!_

 _Let's go, Aikatsu!_

 _The show's starting, don't you know?_

 _Don't give up, and a opportunity will present_

 _Just find the dream you represent!_

Mai then reached out her hands, and proceeded to perform the appeal Cute Live. Tsubaki followed, the stage filling with purple sparkles. She blew a kiss to the audience, causing butterflies to surround her in the shape of a spade, and the stage returned to normal.

 _(Ah~) To a distant rainbow~_

 _(Ah~) Aikatsu, Here We Go!_

The two girls posed before running backstage again.

"Performing with you felt so good!" Mai exclaimed, hugging Tsubaki.

"I actually managed to do a special appeal…" Tsubaki murmured. Mai looked confused.

"Didn't you do one in your audition?"

Tsubaki shook her head. "I think practising with you the other day helped a lot. So thank you, Mai." Mai looked taken aback for a second before shaking her head vigorously.

"No no no no no! I learnt a lot this past week thanks to you!" As the two girls continued to praise and compliment each other, Hinata watched them from afar.

"To pull off appeals at such a low level… maybe this school won't be a walk in the park after all!" She smiled to herself, as the next group headed onstage.

A/N: Quite a short chapter, honestly. I wasn't super inspired for this particular chapter, but now that the two introduction chapters are over, things will get more interesting


	3. Shining! The Celestial Star

"Welcome to AikatsuStarlight, the show where we cover all of the latest idol news!" All over Japan, thousands of idols and fans alike were eagerly tuning into AikatsuStarlight, a show where all of the weeks new Aikatsu announcements were put together. It was well known for being the first place to announce all sorts of exciting idol news.

"Tsubaki? Why does everyone have their phones out?" Mai asked, as she brought her breakfast tray over to a table. Tsubaki was watching her phone intently, only noticing Mai after a few seconds.

"Everyone's watching AikatsuStarlight, obviously," she replied, eyes fixed on her phone. Mai tilted her head.

"AikatsuStarlight…? Oh! I think Sachi-chan and a few of my old classmates mentioned that before!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands before pausing, "Though… I have no idea what is actually is."

"You… don't know what AikatsuStarlight is?"

Mai nodded, and Tsubaki sighed. "Basically, it's an Aikatsu news show. Every week, they announce all sorts of information related to the idol world- it's a must watch for idols and fans!"

Mai started to look excited.

"Oh, that sounds interesting! What have they mentioned so far?" She asked as she sat besides her roommate.

"Nothing ye- Oh! They're about to say something big!" The two girls leaned in closer, the entire cafeteria grew quiet.

"Finally, we're proud to be the first place to announce this huge piece of news! Aino Rina's debut as the Celestial Star is going to happen next Friday! She'll be performing her brand new song _and_ wearing a coord from her new brand, Crystal Ribbon!" Suddenly, every idol in the cafeteria became incredibly excited.

"Announce when the tickets go on sale…" Tsubaki muttered under her breath, impatiently.

"Come see this great event! Tickets are on sale now!" Tsubaki immediately clicked off of KiraTube and switched to Rina's website.

"We're actually going to see her live?" Mai asked, excited. "I've never been to a concert in years! The last time I saw one was when I was small~." Tsubaki smiled at the girl's excitement, before turning her attention to the screen again. She froze.

"They're sold out."

"Heh?"

"Like I said, they're sold out."

"Already?!" Mai burst out, "But how? It's only been a minute or two."

Tsubaki shook her head. "You underestimate how important the Celestial Star's debut is the idol world. Seeing the brightest star at her brightest- it's almost as big of an event as the Stardust Idol Festival!" She raised her hand, cutting off Mai before she could even question. "Before you ask, the Stardust Festival is a huge show where they gather the top fourteen idols in Japan to perform together! It occurs every four years in March and is known to shake the world of idols to its very core!"

Mai's eyes lit up. "That sounds so great, I hope I get to see it someday~!" Then, she remembered what the conversation was in the first place and sighed dejectedly. "I can't believe we can't watch it…"

Tsubaki placed her hand on the small girl's shoulder. "Don't worry! People know how in demand these tickets are, so what people tend to do is buy a lot and put them for sale or exchange it for something." She flipped her hair, full of confidence. Mai looked concerned.

"Isn't that-"

"Shady? Yeah, a lot of them don't give them for very nice prices. _But_ , I've been working with Hikaru-kun for years, and he's always given tickets for free! All we have to do is beat others who want the tickets in some kind of competition!" The purple haired girl exclaimed with a smug expression. "I'll look to see if he has any offers up tonight, and let you know in the morning!"

"Mai, wake up~" Mai continued to clutch on her pillow, refusing to leave the world of dreams. She was finally the Celestial Star and having her debut stage. The audience was completely full, with Sachiko and Tsubaki cheering her on at the front.

"Mai, come on. We need to go!" Tsubaki's cheers in the dream turned into her urging her to wake up.

"But it's the weekend, we don't have classes…" Mai muttered drowsily, not with reality yet. Tsubaki grew increasingly frustrated.

"Yes but Hikaru-kun's putting on duo competition today! I can't go by myself, and we both need the tickets!"

Mai sprung up in alarm before pouting. "You didn't tell me it'd be today!"

Tsubaki clasped her hands together in apology. "I'm sorry for the short notice, but please Mai! I want to watch Rina's live with you, and I'm not sure if Hikaru-kun has enough tickets to put on multiple competitions. Please, I got us permission to leave school grounds and everything!"

Mai's eyes widened, remembering a conversation she had with Sachiko.

"But, you have to promise to come with me to her debut as the Celestial Star in a few weeks!"

"No buts. It's a promise, and friends don't break promises. If you do, I'll just assume you don't want to be friends anymore~."

Mai looked down for a moment, before standing up, determined. "Let's go then! I made a promise to watch Rina's debut live, after all!"

Tsubaki was confused for a second before grinning. "Come on, there should be a car outside waiting for us!"

Tsubaki started to head out, and Mai followed. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the time: 6am. The young girl started to wonder if idols were always awake so early. It seemed difficult to do everyday. She turned to the door once again and walked out of the room into the corridor. It was quiet, dark, and cold, and yet there were quite a few second and third years there, although they were quietly leaving for their jobs.

"Do idols always wake up so early?" Mai asked in a quiet tone.

Tsubaki nodded in reponse. "It doesn't happen often with first years, but by the time you're in your second year you usually have so many auditions and work lined up you have to, or you won't have enough time to do everything you need to."

"Seems difficult..."

"It's the price you have to pay as an idol." The two continued to walk in silence until they eventually arrived outside. Spotting a car at the front gate, Tsubaki ran over, as Mai followed suit. The driver pulled down the window, and Tsubaki shown him her student ID.

"First year, Shimura Tsubaki, here for an audition!" She stated, nudging Mai to encourage her to do the same.

"First year, Amamiya Mai! I'm with Tsubaki!" She copied, also took out her ID, and the driver nodded.

"Come in." He said as Tsubaki opened the door, and the two climbed in. Mai looked around in awe.

"It's so nice in here~!" She exclaimed.

"Of course it is! Celestial Academy has created some of Japan's top idols! They're not going to go the cheap route." Tsubaki stated before smiling. "But, you're right. It is nice." Mai giggled, relaxing into the seat Then, another question popped into her head.

"I'm surprised we're even allowed to leave."

"Of course we are. We're going to an audition. If we weren't allowed to, we wouldn't be able to be idols!" Tsubaki crossed her arms and pouted.

"But-" Mai started, as Tsubaki placed her finger on Mai's lips, shushing her, before looking out the window.

"Oh, we're here!"

Mai gave Tsubaki a puzzled look. "It's just a field…?"

The two waited as the car stopped, and the two girls got out. Tsubaki cheerfully waved to the driver.

"Bye! And thanks for the ride!" She called out and turned back to Mai, who was extremely confused.

"This is the audition? Tsubaki, are you sure this is safe?"

Tsubaki nodded and pointed to a small crowd. "Look! That's Hikaru-kun over there! And all those people must also be competing!" She gave Mai a smile, "So stop worrying! Nothing bad will happen, I trust Hikaru-kun with my life!!"

Mai hesitated. "So we have a chance of-"

"Of course not!" Tsubaki pouted, causing Mai to giggle slightly, easing up a bit. She was always taught not to trust these sorts of things, but Tsubaki seemed confident that it'd be fine. If Tsubaki was certain, Mai didn't think there was any way she could be wrong. Yet, as the man started to approach them, she started to feel that confidence slip away once again.

"Tsubaki-chan!" The man exclaimed, waving at the purple haired girl. She smiled and ran over to him.

"Hikaru-kun!" The two high fived, and Hikaru looked towards Mai. "So this is the girl you're with… Mia, right?" Mai blushed, greatly embarrassed, as Tsubaki shook her head and laughed.

"No, she's Mai! M-A-I!" The man laughed too and quickly put out an apology. Feeling embarrassed and out of place, Mai's eyes wandered to the other people competing. She wondered if they were all close to the man, just like Tsubaki. What if he completely forgot about her? What if Tsubaki was asked if she wanted to go solo? What if she said yes? Without noticing, Mai found herself grasping at her sleeve once again, trying to get rid of all the negative feelings in her. Tsubaki wasn't like Sachiko. She wouldn't leave her like that. She couldn't...

"Mai? You okay?" Tsubaki placed her hand on Mai's shoulder, causing her to snap back into reality.

"Huh?" She paused before smiling sweetly. "Don't worry! I'm fine! Couldn't be better!"

Tsubaki looked as if she were about to argue back when Hikaru blew a whistle, signalling all the contestants to gather. Tsubaki sighed quietly before turning more energetic. "Come on. Let's go." She grabbed Mai's hand, and they went over to the gathering spot. Mai looked around, taking note of all the contestants. Some the same age as them, some high schoolers--even some fully grown adults were there! They all turned their attention to the event organiser, each contestant looking extremely confident.

"Good day, idol fans! Today's your lucky chance! Your lucky chance to possibly see Aino Rina live!" He paused as some people started to applause or whisper to their partners. "But, in order to grasp this chance, you have to complete this obstacle course before anyone else!"

He pointed towards a huge obstacle course behind them. Mai looked towards it with a mixture of both fear and admiration. There was a large swimming pool, balancing beams, wall climbs, and monkey bars. At the end, there was a huge cliff, which Mai nervously eyed. Mai wasn't the only one, however, as a few others also looked at it nervously.

"Yes," Hikaru declared, noticing their anxiety. "You will have to scale the cliff. There is where my assistant will be waiting with tickets! You have five minutes to get changed and warm up! Good luck!" He waved as he walked off, and most of the contestants waved back. Mai felt herself grow pale as she continued to stare at the cliff. It was huge, if anyone fell… She pinched her cheek. Tsubaki said she trusted Hikaru with her life. She just had to believe in Tsubaki's trust.

After a very silent and awkward changing session and warm up, All the contestants headed to the obstacle course. Everyone looked towards Hikaru, both excited and nervous. Looking over to make sure everyone had arrived, he looked towards a green haired girl next to him. The girl nodded and grabbed a whistle tied around her neck.

"Everyone, are you ready? Three, two, one… go!" Next thing Mai knew, every pair was dashing past her. Tsubaki grabbed her arm and started to run. Mai followed, desperately trying to keep up. As idols, Tsubaki had mentioned they had to be in good shape, so she couldn't fall behind so easily! Eventually, the two girls ran into a small wall climb. Various contestants were all trying their best to get over but appeared to be having trouble. Mai looked at it nervously. Being so short would put her at major disadvantage. As she stared at the wall, Tsubaki kneeled down in front of it.

"Mai! Use me to boost yourself up!" Tsubaki called out, and Mai nodded. She climbed to the top of the wall and held her hand out. Tsubaki immediately took the cue, and took her hand, as Mai tried her best to pull Tsubaki over.

"Thanks!" Tsubaki beamed as they reached the ground, and Mai shook her head.

"I'm the one who should be thanking you." She stated before looking forward. "There's still so much to do, let's go!" She started to run off, and Tsubaki followed.

Next, the girls made their way across monkey bars, and Mai felt her confidence rebuilding. The entire time, Tsubaki was by her side, occasionally giving a motivational smile. They passed through various other obstacles, such as crawling under a net and a long jump. Before long, they found themselves standing in front of the second to last obstacle, a swimming pool which was around 25m long. The two girls looked at each other and nodded. Only a few contestants remained. They just couldn't give up now! They held hands and dived in.

"Aikatsu!" They shouted in unison and started to swim. If they could do this, they had a chance of seeing the current Celestial Star, Aino Rina, live. They climbed out of the end of the pool and stared at the giant cliff standing in front of them. They were the only participants to make it this far; all they needed to do now was conquer the cliff.

"Let's do this, and see the one and only Rina-sama live!" Tsubaki exclaimed. Mai smiled in reponse. "Together, we can do this! Let's go!" The two girls started to climb up, filled with determination. If they quit now, they'd let each other down… so they had to keep going!

"Aikatsu! Aikatsu! Aikatsu!" The two girls chanted, perfectly in sync as the rest of the contestants started to cheer them on. While nobody had anticipated anyone would manage to get this far, the watchers wanted to see these two girls succeed. Feeling a final spurt of energy, Mai pushed herself to the top. She sat there for a moment before looking down and seeing Tsubaki still climbing.

"Don't worry, I'll be up in a second!" She assured Mai. But then, her foot slipped. Mai immediately went to grab her hand and pull her up.

"Aikatsu! Aikatsu!" Mai chanted, strained, struggling under the stress. It was strange. It seemed so much easier in the wall climb, when their lives weren't in danger. Having gotten over the original shock, Tsubaki joined in.

"Aikatsu! Aikatsu!" Before long, every single contestant was chanting along, encouraging them, filling Mai with energy. Eventually, she managed to pull Tsubaki over, and the two collapsed at the top, heavily panting and sweating.

"Tsubaki?" Mai managed to get out between pants.

"Yeah?"

"We are never doing anything so dangerous ever again." Tsubaki made a vague sound, as if she had other plans, before sitting up.

"At least the view's nice~," She commented, as Mai sat up too. The sun was setting, tinting the clear sky orange. Mai agreed happily.

"Yeah, I suppose so~," She hummed before pausing. "H-how long have we been taking part in this?"

Tsubaki shrugged. "A few hours, I suppose." She began to laugh as horror creeped into Mai's expression.

"It's not funny! I had a new recipe I wanted to try out!!" Mai pouted, not noticing the green haired girl approach, with two tickets in her hand.

"Congratulations! You two both showed a great amount of courage, determination, and most of all, teamwork throughout this course. Aino Rina would be flattered if you accepted these tickets." She smiled gently, and Tsubaki stood in excitement. Mai followed but felt confused.

"Aino Rina would be flattered? But I thought she wasn't involved in all of this?" Starting to approach the group, Hikaru laughed.

"Oh Mia, you truly are clueless. I thought everyone knew Makocchi was my cousin. Of course I'd work closely with her current top idol!" Mai stared blankly, not even bothered by being called Mia. This crazy man was related to the elegant headmistress, Kagamine Makoto? And the perfect Aino Rina helped design this nightmare course?! Tsubaki laughed.

"Don't worry, I had the same reaction at first," She reassured the pink haired girl, and the green haired girl also gigged. Hikaru nodded.

"You're a student at Celestial Academy, right? Maybe someday you'll be able to work with me, to design your own promotional event like this!"

"I think I'd rather not." Mai replied, bluntly. The other three, all laughed, and soon, Mai laughed along.

A few days had passed, and Rina was looking at the audience from backstage.

"I don't think I've ever seen such a huge crowd before," she whispered, a feeling of nervousness setting in. Behind her, Makoto smiled.

"Are you surprised? Not only are you the Celestial Star, but you're also the last remaining member of Kizuna. You're kind of a big deal." She placed her hand on her hip. "But, I believe in you. You're been working towards this ever since you were young, so grab this chance with both your hands." Rina nodded and turned her attention to the cards in her hands.

"I have my very own brand behind me, so I can do this!" She took a deep breath and walked onto stage. The previously loud and excited chatter died down.

"Welcome everyone, to my very first performance since being crowned the Celestial Star!" She exclaimed, as the audience erupted in cheers. After waiting for those cheers to die down, she continued. "My name is Aino Rina, and for the past month, I've been working tirelessly on a new brand. One that'd perfectly capture the feeling I wish to convey as the "Princess" of Celestial Academy! So, I'm proud to present to you, Crystal Ribbon!" On the screen behind her, the brand logo appeared, along with a one of the brands coords. In the audience, a third year with raven hair clenched her fists.

"I hope my song will touch the hearts of many budding idols, who want to someday stand on this very stage!" She exclaimed, bowing, before heading to the changing room. In her hands, she held the Cinderella Dream Coord. It was a dress that felt like it was from a fairytale, and held the dreams of all the girls in the world searching for their chance to shine. She kissed the cards.

"Aino Rina, a gentle star in the sky!" She declared with a gentle smile before running over to the changing machine. She placed each card in their respective slot, and the beams came together to make a doorway to the sparkly dimension. Rina ran in, shining in pink sparkles. She went down the slide, each part of the coord appearing on her. She eventually jumped onto the platform, posing, as a pink heart appeared behind her.

Rina walked onto the Midnight Fairytale Stage. The stage was designed to look like a fairytale castle, with a clear night sky behind. In front of the castle, there was a water fountain, decorated with various coloured roses. In the sky, there were multiple stars, with three shining brighter than the rest. Rina took a deep breath, as the music started up. She started to dance elegantly.

 _Flying through the sky, I wish that I_

 _Could be a graceful butterfly_

 _But until that day arrives_

 _I'll work to find my wings_

 _(Ahhhh, La La La)_

Almost immediately, Rina's aura appeared covering the majority of the stage. The aura consisted of pink gemstones, white lace, and various sparkles. Everyone in the audience watched with admiration.

"I didn't think it was possible to have such a huge aura.." Mai whispered, blushing at the beautiful sight.

 _There was once a time where I_

 _Was a little caterpillar_

 _Unable to find my place in this world_

 _There's no beauty in that at all_

 _But then one day, I saw, a beautiful butterfly_

 _And the world I once knew completely changed_

 _Ah, how I long_

 _To spread my wings high in the sky_

 _But for now, I'll work hard, and one day_

 _I'll call these wings mine!_

As the song continued on, the audience started to become more invested with this amazing show. Rina had near perfect vocals and dance--it was no wonder she had managed to beat the long reigning, Harune Naru, as the Celestial Star.

 _Flying through the sky, I wish that I_

 _Could be a graceful butterfly_

 _Then I'll be able to dance, with endless beauty!_

 _I'll be able to do it someday_

 _But for now_

 _I'll just do this Butterfly dance_

 _I hope that you all join in too!_

Rina was then surrounded by pastel blue sparkles, and began to perform the "Crystal Splash" appeal. She held onto a ribbon, and using it, made three hearts. They turned into crystals, and appeared behind her. The stage began to turn back to normal, and Rina continued.

 _(Ahhhh, la la la)_

 _Soaring through the sky, I'll truly shine!_

The song ended, and Rina posed. Nearly everyone in the audience was cheering loudly for her, amazed by the perfection in her every move. Meanwhile, the dark haired third year stared at Rina with a look of anger.

"Three hearts in her appeal… she really does that after everything that happened?" She turned her back and started to leave. She lowered her voice, sounding more genuinely upset. "She'll never change, will she?"

Mai and Tsubaki both walked out, feeling completely in awe.

"The Celestial Star… she's far better than I expected!" Tsubaki exclaimed, still feeling thrilled by the events of the concert. Mai nodded in agreement.

"Right? Her dress was so beautiful~! But…" She looked down, " I didn't see Sachi-chan. She promised she'd be there."

"Mhm? I don't see why you care about her. She seems kind of like a jerk."

Mai pouted. "Sachi-chan isn't a jerk! Maybe she couldn't get tickets! Then again… her family is rich and powerful. If she wanted them she easily could have gotten them…"

Tsubaki smiled softly. "She left you. But," She grabbed Mai's hand, "No matter what, we'll always have each other. I'll always be your friend, even if the rest of the rest of the world hates you." Mai gently held Tsubaki's hand, as the two of them looked towards the crescent moon.

"Does that make us best friends?"

"Best friends forever."


End file.
